Forest City Cleveland

It’s Open Cup season! 🏆 The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest ongoing soccer competition in the country – a knockout tournament open to any men’s club in America, amateur or pro.

This year, all 27 MLS teams are in the bracket, and three local clubs are vying to get in! Win it all, and you take home $1 million and the trophy shown here – the Dewar Cup (taken at FC Dallas).

Cleveland isn’t new to the cup. Cleveland Thistles made it to the semis in 1925. Cleveland Inter-Italian 🇮🇹(pictured, top) were finalists in 1973, Croatia Cleveland 🇭🇷 (as Croatia Rebels, pictured bottom) were semifinalists in 1975. To name a few.

This year, three local clubs compete in Qualifiers: Croatia Cleveland Soccer Club, Akron City FC and Lorain County Leviathan FC — and Ambassadors Football Club Ohio (AFC Ohio) has an automatic bid to tournament proper. (Mansfield Liederkranz Sport & Kulture — next year, you enter the chat?)

Qualifiers kick off next weekend.

Check your inbox for special tickets to ACFC vs. Leviathan on Sept. 13. See you at the cup!

WE’RE BACK! Free pickup returns tonight at North Coast Yard. Bring hard-surface shoes, water and a friend. No sign-up, just show up.

Same as it ever was: Men on Mondays, 6-9 p.m. Women on Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m.

But TOMORROW, we’re celebrate Sunset Soccer with WXMX Cleveland | Q***r Community — high-vibes Tuesday night pickup open to ladies, theydies & allies of all skill levels.

THE KICKOUT: FINALS 🏆 Aug. 17-18, from 6-10 p.m. at North Coast Yard (515 Erie Ave in ).

Food trucks, bar, DJ .xx, vintage soccer jersey shop, lake, skyline & that one of a kind night in Cleveland 🤩 IYKYK… if you don’t, come find out.

FREE!

Eight teams each compete for cash prize & the crown! FOREST CITY Division (men) plays Monday; ASTRA Division (women) plays Tuesday.

Teams announced throughout this week!

Pickup is canceled on Monday. Men’s soccer will resume next-next week, Aug. 24 (same time, same place).

Women’s sunset soccer ☀️ is ON! this Tuesday, 6-9 p.m. at North Coast Yard ⚽️

Bring hard-surface shoes, water & a friend! No sign up required.

One week from today — join us Sunday, July 19 for the men’s World Cup 🏆 Finals in Public Square! ⚽️

Free & welcoming to all. Get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/watch-party-world-cup-finals-in-public-square-tickets-1990188736084

Doors open at 10 a.m.
Match starts at 3 p.m.

We’ll have the match on a big screen, food trucks, activities, pickup soccer. And at halftime, we’ll pick our Summer of Soccer grand prize winner!

Grateful to do this with our partners Downtown Cleveland and Public Square.

Want to play in The Kickout Qualifiers (presented by the Cleveland Crunch Cleveland Crunch) on Aug. 5?

If you’re not already part of a team, it can be hard to get into things, at first. But let’s put the magic of soccer to work.

Here are ways to meet people and assemble a team:

1. Put it out into the universe. Share Kickout info on socials, group chats, discord and say: let’s play! Worst they can do is say no. The cool people won’t.

2. Come play free pickup at North Coast Yard. Men play Mondays, 6-9 p.m. We’ll be back at it next week. Move with us and see who’s looking for a team, too.

3. Call up your former teammates. Whether it’s been three weeks, years or decades — bring ‘em out! See who’s in their contacts too. Set up time (or come to pickup!) to kick around. Then register your team!

4. Stay tuned for free agent comms. No guarantees here. But if we end up with loose ends and free agent opportunities, we’ll post on socials and send emails to share. If you’re not already signed up for updates, go to our website and sign up!

Ready to go? Register here: https://www.clevelandprosoccer.com/kickout

The Kickout Qualifiers will be at Dick’s House of Sport in Strongsville. Forest City Division (men) plays the evening of Aug. 5. Top teams play for a cash prize at The Kickout Finals at North Coast Yard, later in August.

Join us in Public Square to kick around, win prizes and watch the finals of the 2026 World Cup. FREE event. Get your tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/watch-party-world-cup-finals-in-public-square-tickets-1990188736084

WORLD CUP 🏆 FINALS WATCH PARTY — Sunday, July 19, we’re shutting down Public Square Downtown Cleveland with our friends at Downtown Cleveland for the biggest soccer watch party this city has seen!

FREE, but ticketed event 🎟️ Get yours: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/watch-party-world-cup-finals-in-public-square-tickets-1990188736084

- Doors open at 10 a.m. for food trucks, local shops & restaurants, pickup soccer & activities
- Match starts at 3 p.m. (We’ll find out who’s playing next week!)
- Prize pickup for passports (check your email)
- GRAND PRIZE DRAWING for 10+ passport stamps at halftime

Bring chairs, water bottles, snacks and friends! Don’t worry about who’s playing, just put your heart into a side and love every second.

Today’s World Cup 🏆 schedule:

1 p.m. Germany 🇩🇪 vs. Curaçao 🇨🇼
4 p.m. Netherlands 🇳🇱 vs. Japan 🇯🇵
7 p.m. Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 vs. Ecuador 🇪🇨
10 p.m. Sweden 🇸🇪 vs. Tunisia 🇹🇳

Get your passport stamped at one of our partner bars!

World Cup matches today 🏆 Watch these matches at one — or more! — of our partner bars:

1 p.m. Germany 🇩🇪 vs. Curaçao 🇨🇼
4 p.m. Netherlands 🇳🇱 vs. Japan 🇯🇵
7 p.m. Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 vs. Ecuador 🇪🇨
10 p.m. Sweden 🇸🇪 vs. Tunisia 🇹🇳

Partner bars showing all World Cup matches are listed on the SUMMER OF SOCCER page: https://www.clevelandprosoccer.com/summer

(Thanks to our friends at Saucy Brew Works for this photo 📸)